General Information Bulletin on Freshman Admission for Academic Year 2012-2013

* The University of the Philippines
* Admission Into the University Through the UPCAT
* Qualifying for a Campus
* Qualifying for a Program
* What if I Do Not Qualify for a Campus?
* Specific Requirements for UPCAT Eligibility
* Important Reminders
* Requirements to be Submitted
* Modes of Payment
* The Application Process (For Both Traditional and Online Applications)
* Taking the UPCAT
* After the UPCAT
* Information on Scholarships

The University of the Philippines

The University of the Philippines has seven constituent universities -- UP Diliman (with an extension program in Pampanga), UP Baguio, UP Los BaÃ±os, UP Manila, UP Visayas (with campuses in Iloilo/Miagao, Cebu and Tacloban), UP Mindanao, and the Open University (which has its own admission test). Some degree programs are offered in only one campus (e.g., BS Nursing, BA Agriculture) while others are offered in two or more campuses (e.g., BA Psychology, BS Computer Science). The Diliman campus is the University's flagship campus and offers the largest number of degree programs. Other campuses are known for specific areas of specialization. For example, UP Manila is the country's center of excellence in the health sciences; UP Los BaÃ±os is a distinguished center of academic excellence in agriculture, forestry and related sciences in Asia; UP Visayas is noted for its program in fisheries which is recognized as one of the best in Asia; UP Baguio is noted for its Cordillera Studies program; and the UP Open University, offering mainly post-graduate degree programs, provides educational opportunities beyond the boundaries of a conventional university (i.e., through distance learning).

As the premier State University, UP offers a wide range of degree programs. Most of these require qualification through the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT). To maintain its high standard of education and to maximize its limited resources, UP has had to limit slots for freshman admission to each campus and to its various degree programs.

Some programs are in much greater demand than others so that their freshman slots are often more quickly filled. Other programs may not be as much in demand so that their limits are rarely, if ever, reached. Programs where the demand often surpasses the available slots are considered to be over-subscribed. One must qualify for these programs through the UPCAT. Graduates of foreign high schools may qualify for admission into programs that are not over-subscibed as beginning freshmen without having to take the UPCAT provided they meet other requirements. Details on the specific requirements may be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar of the respective UP campuses.

Admission into the University Through the UPCAT

If you decide to take the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) on August 6 and August 7, 2011, you will be one among many thousands who aspire to enter the University of the Philippines. (Last year, there were over 67,000 examinees.)

Admission into UP depends not only on your performance in the UPCAT but also on your high school grades -- your weighted standardized scores on the UPCAT subtests in Language Proficiency, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and Science, and the weighted average of final grades in your first three years in high school are combined. Moreover, to implement the policy of democratization to make the UP studentry more representative of the nation's population, socio-economic and geographic considerations are factored in the selection of campus qualifiers.

Qualifying for a Campus

In your application, you are asked to choose two campuses from among nine (Baguio, Cebu, Diliman, Iloilo, Los BaÃ±os, Manila, Mindanao, Pampanga, and Tacloban) and indicate them in order of preference. You will also indicate two degree programs per campus on your UPCAT application form and rank them in order of preference. Your application will be processed according to your campus and course choices and in the order you specified.

All applicants will be ranked based on their admission grades. They are then screened based on the choice of campuses and the top-ranking applicants, based on the quota and cut-off grade set by each campus, will qualify. Entry into UP Diliman or UP Manila tends to be competitive because these campuses are chosen by more applicants. If you qualify for your first choice, you will no longer be considered for your second choice of campus. But if you do not qualify for your first choice, you are automatically considered for your second choice of campus.

Qualifying for a Program

Once you qualify to enter a campus, you are then screened for acceptance into one of the degree programs you chose. Different grade predictors are used for different programs. Campus qualifiers are ranked according to the degree program predictor. Top-ranking qualifiers are accepted according to the number of slots available for that program.

If you make it to the quota for your first choice of course, you will no longer be screened for your second choice. If you don't make it to your first choice of degree program, you will undergo the same screening process for your second choice. If you still do not make it, you will remain qualified for that campus but must then find a degree program that can accommodate you. Remember, you are an UPCAT qualifier; you only need to find a program that will accept you. The campus Registrar's Office will help you find that program. Qualification into UP is therefore a matter of qualifying for a campus, regardless of course choices.

What if I Do Not Qualify for a Campus?

If you do not qualify to any of your campus choices, you have several options:

FIRST: You can try other UP campuses if:

1. your rating is within their posted cut-off, and
2. they still have available slots.

Present your Non-Qualifier's Slip (which will be sent to you in the mail and which will indicate your admission rating) to the Registrar's Office of the campus you want to enter. However, there is no guarantee of acceptance as each campus makes its own decisions according to its own criteria.

SECOND: If no UP campus can accommodate you, you can enroll in a college or university other than UP. After earning 33 academic units with a weighted average of 2.00 or better on the UP marking system, you can apply for transfer into a UP campus. Again, each campus has its own rules on transfer and accepts only a limited number of transfer students. Information regarding transfer to UP may be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar of the respective UP campuses.

1. Specific Conditions for UPCAT Eligibility

To be eligible to take the UPCAT, you must meet certain specific requirements.

FIRST: You must belong to one of the categories listed below:
1. Senior student (e.g., Fourth Year, Grade 12, Senior 6) of DepEd-accredited schools or secondary schools abroad (expecting to graduate at the end of the school year);
2. Graduates of DepEd-accredited schools or secondary schools abroad; or
3. Those declared eligible for admission to college after taking the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT).

SECOND: You must also have:
1. Final grades for the First, Second and Third Years of the 4-year secondary school curriculum in schools with DepEd recognition/permit to operate said curriculum (or Grades 9, 10 and 11 or their equivalent for international or foreign schools); and,
2. Not taken the UPCAT previously.

NOTE: Graduates of DepEd-accredited schools or secondary schools abroad and those declared eligible for admission to college after taking the PEPT
1. must not have taken any college subject/s previously;
2. must not be taking any college subject/s at present; and
3. will not be taking any college subject/s prior to or for the semester/academic year for which the UPCAT is to be taken.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

* There is no minimum high school average grade requirement for taking the UPCAT.
* The UPCAT can be taken only once. Those who have already taken the UPCAT are not allowed to take it again.

2. Requirements to be Submitted

1. Correctly and completely accomplished UPCAT Forms 1 & 2.
1. If the applicant is a transferee or has taken some subjects from another school (e.g. for summer courses), then a signed and certified legible photocopy of the Permanent Secondary School Record (F137) from the other school must be attached to UPCAT Form 2 containing all the grades earned therein.
2. Likewise, if the applicant needed more than 4 years to finish high school, a signed and certified photocopy of the F137 must be submitted.
2. Four 2"x2" identical recent photographs taken within the last 6 months.
3. UPCAT Application Fee or documents for Exemption
1. The non-refundable UPCAT Application Fee is
1. P450 for Filipinos with annual gross family income of more than P100,000 and resident foreign applicants studying in the Philippines;
2. US$50 for non-resident foreign applicants;
3. US$100 for applicants taking the UPCAT in the Middle East.
2. Exempted from payment of the application fee are Filipino applicants belonging to either of these groups:
1. Those with annual gross family income of P100,000 or less (supported by 2010 ITRs of earning members of the family or BIR Certification of Exemption); or
2. Top ten graduates or prospective graduates of public high schools for SY 2011-2012 (supported by a ranked listing of the school's TOP TEN students as of the end of SY 2010-2011 signed by the School Head/Principal).

NOTE:
1. Landbank and PNB will be charging a service fee of P25 for every application;
2. The Philippine Postal Corporation charges variable fees for every piece of PMO issued, depending on denomination; and
3. different banks have also set their own fees for the purchase of Manager's Checks and Cashier's Checks.

4. The Application Process

1. Choose ONE of these methods to acquire your application form:
* FOR TRADITIONAL APPLICATION FORM: Obtain application forms through your authorized school representative directly from the UP Office of Admissions in Diliman, or from the Office of the University Registrar in a UP campus (outside UP Diliman) nearest you.
* FOR ONLINE APPLICATION FORM: Visit the 'Online Application' by clicking here.
2. Carefully read the information and instructions provided in this Bulletin.
3. Fill out the UPCAT Forms:
* FOR TRADITIONAL APPLICATION FORM: Fill out UPCAT Form 1 (UPCAT Application for Freshman Admission)
* FOR ONLINE APPLICATION FORM: Follow the steps in the 'Online Application'
4. Have your grades certified by your high school:
* FOR TRADITIONAL APPLICATION FORM: Give UPCAT Form 2 (Secondary School Record) to your high school principal or school head. Only a duly authorized school official may fill out this form.
* FOR ONLINE APPLICATION FORM: Print out 2 copies of your UPCAT Online Application form after you've COMPLETED the entire online process. Give both copies to your high school principal or school head. Only a duly authorized school official may certify this form.
5. Pay the UPCAT Application fee (see Sec. III. Modes of Payment) or prepare the originals and photocopies of the necessary documentary proof for Exemption (see Sec II.3.b.Exempted)
1. If paying thru LBP or PNB, accomplish 3 deposit slips and have them validated, then attach 1 validated slip to your application.
2. If paying with PMO or MC/CC, attach the PMO, MC, or CC (payable to UPCAT) to your application.
3. If you are qualified for exemption, attach supporting documents (i.e., photocopies of the Income Tax Returns of earning members of your family, BIR Certification of Exemption, or certified Top Ten list) to your application.
6. Make sure you have all the requirements that must be submitted together with your UPCAT Forms (Forms 1 and 2 for Traditional Application, or printed UPCAT Online Application Form for Online Application):
1. Four recent and identical 2"x2" photos;
2. As required, a certified and signed legible photocopy of your Permanent Secondary School Record (F137) from schools attended other than your present school (if you are a transferee) or from your present school (if you needed more than 4 years to finish high school);
3. Proof of payment of or Exemption from the UPCAT Application Fee (see Sec. IV.5 above); and
4. A self-addressed stamped envelope if the Test Permit is to be mailed back to you. Be sure to use your school addresss.
7. Submit the completed forms and all other required documents directly to the UP Office of Admissions, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Q.C. either through the authorized school (not a bank) representative or by mail.

8. Pick up your Test Permit. Take note of and remember the date, time, and place of your UPCAT session.
1. For applications filed through an authorized school representative, pick up your Test Permit from this representative (usually a week or so after the date of submission to the Office of Admissions).
2. For applications personally filed, pick-up your Test Permit from the Office of Admissions on the same day.
3. For mailed-in applications, wait for your Test Permit to arrive in the mail. It will be mailed to your school. If it fails to arrive by the second week of July, check with the Office of Admissions [9818500 local 3827, 3828, 3831], and follow up with the UPCAT Examiner assigned to the UPCAT Test Center nearest to your high school on August 5, 2011 (the Friday just before the UPCAT).

5. Taking the UPCAT

1. Go to your designated Test Center on the date specified in your Test Permit. Be there by 6:30 for the morning session or by 12:30 for the afternoon session. Anticipate very heavy traffic. You are advised to visit the designated Test Center before the date of exam.
2. Bring only your Test Permit, two good quality pencils, a sharpener, a good quality rubber eraser and snacks. (The test administration will last about five hours.) The use of cellphones and/or calculating devices during the test is strictly prohibited and can be a cause for disqualification.

6. After the UPCAT

1. Check the UPCAT website (upcat.up.edu.ph) for announcements and posting of UPCAT results (towards the end of February 2012). A list of qualifiers from your school will be sent to your Principal. All examinees will also be sent individual notices.
2. If you qualify for admission to UP, register according to the instructions provided by the college or unit to which you have been accepted.

7. Information on Scholarships

Since 1991, the UP Oblation Scholarship has been awarded to the top fifty UPCAT qualifiers. The benefits include free tuition, miscellaneous and laboratory fees, a semestral book subsidy and a monthly incentive and transportation allowance. Recipients may enjoy the UP Oblation Scholarship throughout the normal length of time required to finish their chosen degree program, provided they maintain the required grade point average. For those in the accelerated medical program (INTARMED), however, only the first four years are covered by this grant.

The University of the Philippines also has a Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program, also known as STFAP or the ISKOLAR NG BAYAN PROGRAM. It provides possible tuition discounts and/or additional financial assistance for financially needy students in the form of monthly subsidies for living and travel expenses and a semestral book allowance.

A number of scholarships, study grants and awards donated by government and private companies or individuals, are also available. Most are intended for financially needy students, though some are awarded in recognition of outstanding academic performance.

The Board of Regents may authorize increases in scholarships, financial assistance, and student fees including tuition.

For additional information, you may write directly to the OFFICE OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT SERVICES, Vinzon's Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City, or e-mail stfap@up.edu.ph.

This is a mirror of Please register to see links. in case that site is down.